Communities in the Valley of the Sun

Northeast Valley

Cave Creek, located just to the north of Phoenix, and Carefree, north of Scottsdale, comprise another newly developing area with sprawling ranches and beautiful adobe homes. Well known for its rolling hills covered with boulders, which inspired the enchanting resort, “The Boulders.” El Pedregal found just below The Boulders is an inspired outdoor shopping experience reminiscent of an artist colony.

Next door neighbors, Carefree and Cave Creek, may share the same piece of the beautiful Sonoran Desert, but each has its own personality. The pioneer community of Cave Creek and its upstart neighbor Carefree represent a slower, laid-back lifestyle where the old west exists side-by-side with urban sophistication. These two communities have a combined population of more than 6,000; the economic sector consists mainly of either tourism-related businesses or of services for those who live there as well as the many visitors.

Carefree is more exclusive, boasting expensive homes. The town is home to several resorts and all the accompanying amenities – fine restaurants, clubs, and shops. Cave Creek was settled in the late 1870′s, and became a booming mining camp during that time and was incorporated in 1986. It is more diverse, containing everything from mansions to rustic cabins. It’s the land, though, that keeps people here, and keeps them coming.

Carefree and Cave Creek are communities so embroidered into the surrounding landscape that it is difficult to determine where one begins and the other ends. Much of the natural scenery is spectacular, with massive piles of granite boulders, sharp mountains and an abundance of desert growth that thrives at this 2,200 to 2,700-foot altitude.Cave Creek / Carefree Demographics

Fountain Hills Fountain Hills, located to the northeast of the Valley in the McDowell Mountains, is just minutes away from Scottsdale and is known for it’s large craft festivals and beautiful park complete with a gushing fountain in its center.

Fountain Hills, a lovely planned community located in the foothills between Scottsdale and Mesa, is home of the world’s highest fountain. Every hour on the hour, from 10am to 9pm daily, the fountain propels a geyser of water 560 feet into the air. Founded in 1970 and developed as a family-oriented community, the existence of more than 500 businesses indicates the healthy rate at which the town has grown.

Before 1970, the area was a cattle ranch and was part of one of the largest land and cattle holdings in Arizona. It was purchased by Robert McCulloch in the late 1960s and designed by Charles Wood, Jr., designer of Disneyland in southern California.

Incorporated in 1989, located on 11,340 acres of land, and bordering northeast Scottsdale, Fountain Hills is surrounded by the 3,500-foot McDowell Mountains on the west, the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation on the east, the Salt River Indian Reservation on the south and by the McDowell Mountain Regional Park on the north. Elevation is 1,520 feet at the fountain, 3,000 feet on Golden Eagle, 500 feet above Phoenix.

These elevations give the resident wonderful views in all directions of the McDowells, the Tonto National Monument and its Four Peaks, and one can even see to the Superstition Mountains in Mesa.

Two golf-course masterplanned communities, SunRidge Canyon and Eagle Mountain changed Fountain Hills from a sleepy, little town into a fast-growing, vibrant community. Other luxurious communities are Firerock, and Crestview.

Paradise Valley is a true “Garden of Eden” nestled in the surrounding landscape of the beautiful Camelback Mountain and Praying Monk.

Paradise Valley, incorporated in 1961 and aptly named, is a town where fine homes on spacious lots are the norm, and the only businesses are resorts. The 16-square-mile community northwest of Scottsdale includes such attractions as the slopes of Camelback Mountain and was home to one of the Valley’s most famous residents, Barry Goldwater.

The town has the highest median income and the largest percentage of college graduates in the area. Zoning has restricted commercial development to posh resort hotels and single-family homes to a minimum of one-acre lots.

Paradise Valley has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Today it is a generally known for its magnificent residences and prosperity. There are many luxurious subdivisions in the community, including Judson, Finisterre, Montelucia Resort, Desert View, Camelback Lands, Tilyou Ranchitos, Hidden Paradise, Franciscan Terrace, Whispering Hills and more.Paradise Valley Demographics

Scottsdale Scottsdale has been designated the Most Livable City, one of America’s resort destinations of choice for fun in the sun, fine shopping, and even finer dining. Scottsdale brims with class and taste. As The New York Times said: “Scottsdale is the Beverly Hills of Arizona, with palm trees, wide, pristine boulevards and estates with neatly manicured lawns watered by automatic sprinklers. The best hotels, nightclubs, stores and restaurants are situated there.”

Scottsdale was founded in 1888 by Winfield Scott, a temperance-preaching Army chaplain from New York. Scottsdale, unlike many of its urban neighbors, did not find its path to growth and prosperity through the courting and conquest of industrial investors. Rather, Scottsdale became a resort, an exclusive residential community, a fashionable shopping area, and a city that fosters the arts. Campus-like business parks provide a strong economic base.

Scottsdale has grown from a tiny farming cluster of 2,000 persons occupying just one square mile in 1951, to a vibrant community of more than 226,982 people spread over an area of 185 square miles. Long known as the “West’s Most Western Town,” Scottsdale has matured to a premier “New West,” urbane, sophisticated and cultured.

Scottsdale’s quality lifestyle includes emphasis on mountain preservation and protection of its rich desert areas. Scottsdale is also known for its architectural and landscape design excellence and rich cultural, business and recreational environments, one of which will soon become world-renowned, The Waterfront Project and Canal Shopping District. Bridges will connect and cross the Arizona Canal at Scottsdale Road and Camelback Road, from Fashion Square to the Old Scottsdale quaint shops. Boats will traverse the canal, and shops and entertainment will line its banks.Scottsdale Demographics